


an end fitting for the start

by camdotcom



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence, Emotions, FUCK endgame, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Romance, fixit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21625963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camdotcom/pseuds/camdotcom
Summary: post-endgame fixit!! in which steve goes back in time to put the stones back, but his detour goes the way it SHOULD HAVE
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	an end fitting for the start

Steve Rogers saw Peggy Carter today.  
She was standing in her office, sorting through piles of paperwork. Steve had stood there for a long time. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. He couldn't talk to her, but he couldn't not talk to her. For him, she was already dead. She died nearly ten years ago. She had moved on and lived her life. But how could he live knowing the life they could’ve had  
He sighed. That was a life he'd given up on. That life would never be real. He would leave and go back and none of this ever would have happened. That’s how time travel worked. With much effort, Steve turned and started towards the door to leave.  
"Come in, will you?" Peggy called, and Steve whipped around. She hadn't looked up from her papers, but she must have seen him move to leave. "I can spare a moment to talk."  
Steve's heart jumped into his throat. He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again. Was he really about to leave Peggy Carter? All he could think about when he first came out of the ice was Peggy. He'd missed their dance. He'd missed seventy years of dances.  
But he couldn’t stay. Peggy was here, calling to him, but he still had a life. Bucky was back now, and Sam. For him, there was hope. And for him, Peggy was dead. Steve had been devastated, but he'd learned to live with the loss. For him, Peggy had a husband and children. She'd found her happily ever after, even if it wasn't with Steve. Steve had found his, too.  
Steve took a step forward and put his hand on the doorknob. Peggy's voice rang out from the other side: "No need to be shy. Come on." Steve swallowed thickly. This was it. He was going to say goodbye this time.  
Steve turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. He walked out of the shadows and into the room, suddenly bathed in light. Peggy's eyes were still stuck to her papers.  
"Have you got anything to say? I'm not just here to look at."  
Steve swallowed again.  
"I just wanted to say hi," Steve said, his voice almost timid, "but I can see you're busy."  
Peggy stopped shuffling the papers abruptly. Her eyes darted up to Steve's face, and she was on her feet, suddenly only a foot away.  
"Steve?" Her voice was quiet. Her arm twitched like she'd restrained herself from reaching out. "Is it really you?"  
"Yeah, Peggy. It's me." Steve looked between her eyes, a small smile spreading across his face. His eyes burned, but he pushed the tears back. She was really there.  
She jumped up and threw her arms ferociously around his shoulders. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close.  
"God, Steve. I thought you were dead. How are you here?" She pulled away from him and her eyes looked around his face, trying to absorb all of him at once. "They thought you were still in the ocean somewhere."  
"For you, I am." He ran one hand through her hair, careful not to mess up her manicured curls. "I'm from the future. It takes you seventy years to find me, give or take.”  
Peggy opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. Instead, tears spill over her cheeks. She pulls Steve close, and his arms fall around her again. "It's been so long. It's been such a long time."  
Steve can hear her breathing, feel her heartbeat against his skin. It all feels like a dream. She's so young, so beautiful. All at once, he remembers he has to leave. His heart sinks into the pit of his stomach.  
"Peggy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to do this to you." He pulls away and rests his hands on her biceps. She looks up at him tearfully, her eyes puffy and confused. "I have to go."  
She takes a deep shaky breath and sets her head on his shoulder. "I understand. You have your life, I have mine. But before you go," she said, her voice shaky, “can I have that dance?”  
And they danced. 

Steve had said his fair share of goodbyes. He knew that they never ended quite right. Some were too formal, too casual, not heartfelt enough.  
This one was too final. Steve knew he was going back to a world where Peggy was gone and his heart was more torn than it ever had been.  
When he came back to the future, the first face he saw was Bucky. His heart felt so full with so many emotions, he felt like he was going to cry. After five years without him, he'd nearly started crying when he saw Bucky in the battle. He needed to stay strong, but he didn't need to now. The battle was over. They won.  
Tony was still in critical condition. His right arm was charred to hell, but as soon as Helen Cho saw him, she started working on him. Steve had been by Tony's side more than Bucky's since the battle ended, and it was starting to dig a hole in his chest.  
"Buck," Steve said softly, throwing his arms around him. There were tears on his face. "She was there."  
Bucky squeezed him back. His breath was soft on Steve's neck. "Who?" Bucky's hair tickled his face, and he felt at home. He didn’t know where they were, really, but he would always be home in Bucky’s arms. There, he was finally safe.  
"Peggy," he said, and it was hardly a whisper. "We danced. She said goodbye. I said goodbye.”  
"The war's over Steve." He pulled away and looked at Steve's face, tears streamed silently down. Bucky smiled sadly. "We can go home."  
Steve raised a hand to his face and wiped away his tears. He stood up slowly, then extended his hand out to Bucky, who took it. "Yeah."  
“From what I heard,” Sam interjected, sauntering up like he hadn’t just seen Captain America cry his heart out into the world’s most wanted assassin’s chest, “she was one hell of a girl. You’re pretty good at finding good people.” Sam threw a glance at Bucky. “Well, pretty good. Your judgement isn’t always dead on.”  
Bucky pushed his shoulder, but there wasn’t any real force behind it. Sam pushed him back. “Wanna fight, old man?”  
“Calm down, kids. I’ve got an important announcement to make,” Steve said, playfully putting his arms out between them. Bucky smiles knowingly.  
“Sam,” Steve said, turning to him, “you’re one of my closest friends. I know you’ve got a lot to catch up on after five years, but if you’re up for it, I’ve got an offer I think you’ll take me up on.”  
“I heard you were in group therapy?” Sam said teasingly, glancing over at Bucky. “But I’m all caught up. What do you got?”  
Steve reached behind him, plucking his shield from where it was latched onto his back. He took a long glance at it, then held it out for Sam to hold.  
“Vibranium is the strongest metal on Earth. It’s pretty fitting for an Avenger, don’t you think?”  
“Yeah, it’s nice,” Sam replied.  
“Well I’m glad you like it.” Steve smiled. “You should keep it.”  
Sam looked quickly between the shield and Steve. “No. No way. You’re Captain America.”  
“This is my official resignation,” Steve said, putting his hands up. He shrugged. “I’m retiring.”  
Sam looked at him, and there was so much emotion in his eyes. A ‘thank you’ he could never say. Sam set down the shield and hugged him instead.  
“So everything’s back?” Bruce asked, and they all turned towards him. Steve had forgotten that he was still there for a moment. Bruce looked like he’d walked in on a private moment.  
"Everything's where it should be," Steve said with as much confidence as he could muster. "Though someone really should have warned me about Red Skull."  
"Red Skull?" All three of them said in unison.  
"What the hell does Red Skull have to do with any of this?" Bucky said.  
"Who's Red Skull?" Bruce said.  
Steve almost laughed. "Big Nazi scientist, really liked murder. Let’s just say it was an interesting reunion.”  
"That clears up absolutely nothing," Sam said, clapping Steve and Bucky on their shoulders. He picked up the shield, weighing it on his arm. He was practically beaming. "Let's go home."  
“I’m glad you came back.” Bucky had his hand resting on Steve’s shoulder. His eyes had gone soft. “I’m with you to the end of the line, Buck.” Steve went soft, too. “I’m not going to leave you here with this idiot.” Sam pushed him playfully again. Steve smiled faintly. Peggy was gone. Nat was gone. But Tony was alive. Sam was back. Bucky was back. This world was new. Maybe, with a lot of effort, it could be a better one.

**Author's Note:**

> endgame was a garbage movie and in general did our dynamic quartet very dirty so here’s to 3/4 of one hell of a team. also sorry this is formatted atrociously i didn’t ask for this


End file.
